Cungelella Art

Q. Can you share the story behind the founding of
Cungelella Art?
A. We grew up surrounded by artists in our family. Our
mother painted, and our father and uncles created stone axes, didgeridoos, and other artefacts, so this kind of craft wasn’t new to us. Glenda picked up the brush in 2019 and started an Instagram page to share what our family had been doing for generations, and things took off from there. Cheryl, Dale, and Jaunita started painting a few months later as well.

Q. How do you incorporate traditional Kalkadoon cultural
elements into your modern art?
A. We use certain symbols to tell the story of Kalkatungu
Country. One very personal symbol we paint heavily in our work is the spinifex grass, which holds special significance for us.

Q. What family stories or traditions do you incorporate
into your art?
A. In most of our artworks, you’ll find circles, which can
represent different things. Growing up, there was always an old humpy (a camp) built out in the bush where one of our family members lived. On weekends, we would pack up the troop carrier and head out there to immerse ourselves in our culture.

Q. What inspires the colours and patterns in your artwork?
A. Kalkatungu Country is easy to paint because we have
the most beautiful landscapes. You get different shades
of red and brown dirt, stunning rock faces ranging from creams, browns, and oranges, and when the sun sets on Kalkadoon Country, it’s simply spectacular. The sky can turn bright pink, peachy, or deep red – it’s just incredible.

Q. How do the landscapes and natural elements of your home inspire your work?
A. There is so much to be inspired by out here. The rustic ant beds, pearly gums, and big rocky red ranges create earthy tones everywhere you look. It’s truly incredible.

Q. Can you tell us about the role your grandparents played in your artistic development?
A. As kids, we don’t always realise how much we’re taking in, but when you’re just sitting around listening and watching, you’re actually learning a lot. When you’re surrounded by it all, it doesn’t seem like you’re doing anything special. Later in life, when you’re sitting around with your own children, passing down the knowledge, that’s when you realise how important it was to have
been around your elders and how much artistic knowledge you absorbed.

Q. What is the significance of the name ‘Cungelella’?
A. Our great-grandmother was born on Cungelella Station.

Q. As four sisters, when working on one artwork, how
do you collaborate to create it together?
A. There’s no strict structure – it just flows naturally. We may start with a small idea of how we want the artwork
to look, but as we paint, it develops its own story and
style organically.

Q. How do you make sure your artwork captures all of your unique styles?
A. We don’t need to make a conscious effort – we can see it happening as the artwork develops. What’s interesting is that sometimes clients will keep buying pieces from the same sister without even realising it. It shows us that even though our styles are very similar to each other, people are drawn to each of our own styles.

Q. How has working together as sisters influenced your
creative process?
We are very tight knit and always have been. Our mum
had five girls in six years, so we’ve always had a strong bond. Seeing each other produce and create motivates
and drives us to keep going.

Q. What has been the most rewarding part of sharing
your culture through your art?
A. We love sharing our culture through our art because it
allows people, no matter where they are, to have a small
piece of Kalkatungu Country in their home.

Q. What has been your favourite piece to create and why?A. I think ‘Wet Season’ for The Block is going to be hard to beat. We spent so many nights together creating it, sipping hot tea, and talking. I don’t know what’s better than that, haha.

Q. What inspired you to expand into fashion, and how does it reflect your cultural heritage?
A. We’ve been blessed to grow up around creatives. Our mum would stay up late sewing matching outfits for us girls because we didn’t have the money to buy five new outfits for every occasion.

Fashion became a big part of our lives, with all of us
having a go on the sewing. With Dad teaching us culture, we developed a love for both, so transitioning into fashion felt natural. Once we began creating our own artworks,
we knew this was our way of stepping into fashion by transferring them onto fabric. It became our way of
sharing our stories and culture through fashion.

Q. Can you tell us about your fashion label and how it connects to your art?
A. The connection isn’t subtle – our artwork is splashed
all over the fabric. The artwork always comes first. For instance, Cheryl might be painting something, and we’ll
all agree that it’s a piece to be kept and transferred
onto fabric.

This label allows us to bring together all the things we
love: fashion, art, culture, and family.